Automatic gate tender



June 1925'. 1540,17]

F. GEORGES ET AL AUTOMATIC GA'I E TENDER Filed Feb. 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j I I I Fry. I 1 I I5 27 I /0 2 \L l I/zv-an zars':

June 1925- I 1,540,171

' -F. GEORGES ET AL AUTOMATIC GATE TENDER Filed Feb. 27, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 2, 11925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

ran-Damon GEORGES AND PIUS P. GEORGES',.O'F NEW BRrTArN, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC GATE TENDER.

Application filed February 27, 1923. Serial- No. 621,642.

To all whom itmag concern:

' which the following is aspecification.-

Our invention relates to improvements in automatic gate tenders for use in controlling the protecting gates at highway railroad crossings, and the object of our improvement is to provide means having electrical actuating devices whereby the control of the gates will reside in circuit closing devices that are operated by the train, having means for lowering and raising the gates, and which means are simple, reliable, andeflicient.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved automatic gate tender.

Figure 2 is a. plan view of a section of track at a highway crossing and a set of gates and showing the c'ontactrails for closing the electrical circuits.

Figure 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of one of the gates, being in part broken away to show the checking pawl.

Figure 4 is a similarside elevation show-- ing a modifiedv form of the means for operating the gate.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of certain parts that are shown in Fig. 1 and on the same scale in a different position from that shown in the figure mentioned.

Figure 6 is a diagram ofconnec'tions.

Our improved automatic gate tender comprises electrically operated means for lowering and raising a set of gates 10 that are actuated by means of circuit closing devices that are operated by the train.

The "train carries some suitable cross-counectiug device for inter-connecting certain contact rails11' that are arranged in pairs, the different pairs being positioned at suitable locations relatively to the tracks 12. There is one pair of contact rails 11 on each side of the crossing 13, one pair being at the side of approach of the train to the crossing and the other at the side of de-' parture from or leaving the same,-the former serving tomake the proper connection for lowering the gates 10 and the latter serving to make connection for raising the gates.

With a double track road, as shown, and assuming that the trains pass along the right hand track,v the contact rails 11 on the upper right side of Fig. 2 serve as the means for closing the circuit for lowering 00 the gates 10 and the contact rails 11 at the lower and left hand side do the same, these particular rails being cross-connected. The

' contact rails 11 in the upper left hand side and lower right hand side are similarly 6 cross-connected and serve to make the: proper circuits complete for raising the gates.

The contact rails 11 arepositioned in parallelism, separated by a moderate space, and

are positioned as,'a set between the track rails 12,]and located at a proper distance i from the crossing 13 to permit of effecting the operation of the gates in a proper manher to afford the desired protection for the crossing 13.

Also, one ormore signal lamps 15 may be displayed at the proper time-and extinguished when not needed.

For lighting the-lamps 15 a single-pole switch 16 is shown.

For operating the ates a pair of doublepole knife-switches 1% are-shown, there being one for each movement of the same.

Electric current may be supplied through the medium of a pair of main supply wires- .quirmg two wires. The branch circuit 21 contains the motor 20 and the two sides thereof are connected respectively to the two hinge-contacts 22 of the two knife-switches 17 Thus when the knife-switches 17 are openthe motor 20 will be inoperative and when either of these two switches is closed the motor may or may .not be operative, depending upon the particular c'onditiens that exist electrically beyond the make 'andbreak contacts 23 that cooperate with the knife-switch blades 24'.

Each pair of make-and-break contacts 23 is connected to a pair of contact rails 11, the '10s connections, as shown, being made by the individual wires 25 that are connected to the cross-connecting wires 26 that make the diagonal inter-connections of the contact rails Thus, when one-of the knife-s 'itches 17 is closed the motor will beoperated responsive to the closing of the circuit at the proper corresponding contact rails 11.

Normally the knife-switch 17 corresponding to the contact rails 11 on the approach ing side of the crossing 13 is closed so that the motor will be operated responsive to the approach of the train and the other knifeswitch 17 is open. After the train has passed from the approach side or near side to the far side of the crossing 13 the electrical circuit is closed so as to restore the normal conditions just described. In the meantime,

simultaneously with the lowering of the gates. 10, the first, or gate-lmvering knil'e switch 17 has been opened and the' other,

the second, or gate-raising knife-switch 1'? vices such as the belt 29 and a set of gears 30 housed in the gear case 31.

The gate-sl1aft 27 may be provided with a crank-arm 32 that is connected by means of a link 33 with a driving-crank-arm 3 1 on the main shaft 28. A modified arrangement comprises the use of a-gear-whcel' 32 on the gate-shaft 27 that cooperates with the toothed-sector 33 that is operatively connected to the driving shaft 28.

The arm 3 1 may also close the lamp-switch 16 through the medium of a link The knife-switches 17 are operated by crank arms 36 on the main shaft 28 and suitable intermediate connecting devices. Thus a lower link 37 connects with the crank-arm 36 and an upper link 38 connects with the handle 39 of the knife-switch 17, and inter mediate saidlinks is a swinging member 10 that is pivotally supported by means of a post 11.

In order to check the gate 10 from ac- 'cidental lowering we provide on the gateshaft 27 a ratchet-wheel 42 and a checkingpawl 43 for cooperating therewith.

The pawl 43 is provided at the upper end of a generally upwardly directed arm or branch 44: of a bell-crank 45 that is supported on a pivot 46 and has a laterally diwhich is provided at a suitable position with a depression or notch 50. The cam wheel 49 is operatively connected with the main shaft 28 through the medium of acrankarm 51 that is connected with said cam wheel 49 and a link 52, the latter being connected to one of the crank-arms 36 or with a separate crank-arm as may be convenient.

lVhen the nose 48 is in the notch 5t) the pawl is in the checking position. i A slight rotation of the cam wheel 1$) serves to lift it out of the notch and free the gate from the. checking control.

As described, the motor is adapted for rotation in one direction only and is alternativcly used for lowering and raising the gates and the electrical connections and switches are inter-related so as to ellcct the one result or the other, and the rotative movement of the motor and main shaft are changed to proper reci iuocating movements for the gates and for the switches.

The main shaft is always rotated in the same direction and carries a set of crankarms consisting of one for operating-the gate and a pair connected indivitlually with thc electric switches, the crank-arms being mechanically connected with the particular mechanism to be operated in each case.

The operation is as follows 1- In the position shown in Fig. l the gate is closed, the front switch 17 is closed, and the rear switch 17 open. in the position shown in Fig. 5 the gate is open, the front switch 17 is open, and the rear switch 17 closed. The change from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 5 or the rovers-:- represents substantially a rotation of the mainshaft to the extent of one-hundred and eighty degrees.

The electric circuits are arranged to connect the motor with the current supply mains'tllrough the medium of one of the switches and one set of contact rails in one case and the other case through the other switch and set of contact rails. One set of contact rails, as shown in Fig. 6, coinpriscs the upper right-handed pair and the lower left-handed pair, and the diagonally arranged cross-connections, and the other set comprises the upper pair at the left and the lower pair at the right, sin'iilarly cross-connected.

The set that includes the upper right pair of contact rails corresponds'to the approach side of the crossing that is protected by the gate under conditions of righthanded travel along the double-tracked way and the upper left pair corresponds to the departure side.

The electric circuits are arranged to include the front switch. as shown in Fig. 6, with the contact rails on the departure side of the crossing and to include the rear switch with those on the approach side.

Thus the front switch is active when the departure contact rails are cross-connecled,

as by suitable short-circuiting devices on the locomotive, and the rear switch is ac-' tive when the approach contact rails are connected together.

The riiechanicalconnections serve to open H the active-switch in each case after the corresponding .and proper movement of the inent of the gate.

Said mechanical connections and the operation thereof comprise the following The mainsha'ft 28 comprises as a part. of its structure a set of crank-arms, as

mentioned, respectively the arm 34" and the two similararms 36. I

Thearm 34 is the driving crank-arm for the gate 10 and serves to operate the same through the medium of'the link 33 and :the crank-arm 32 that is incorporated in the structure of theshaft 27 that carriesj-the gate 10. Rotation of the main shaft 1; 28 by the motor through the medium 101i the sprocket chain or belt 29 serves to provide 4 movement to the link 33. Thus the crankfarm 32 for the gate 10 is moved back and forth through a limited angular movement,

and the parts are constructed and arranged sothat this movement isc'orrect and proper for,efiecting'the desired range of movement for the gate 10. When the arm34' is dia longitudinally reciprocating rected downwardly corresponding" to its lowest position the gate10 is at the horij-zontal orclosed position. and when said arm 34 is at-the uppermost position the gate is inthe fullyelevated or open position. n

.gThe crank-arms 36 are operatively connectedto the knife-switches 17 through the mediumofthe intermediate connecting devices already mentioned and COIIIPI'lSlIlg the V swinging member 40, the link 37 intermediate the same and the crank-arm 36, and

1 f the -linkT38 intermediate said swinging member 40 and the handle 39Iof the knife- -'-*switch 17.- Y

Considering .Fig. -1, which is a diagram- -maticview,..the gate 10 is down, one switch 17 is closed and the other switch 17 is open. The parts are constructedand arranged so that as'fthe car enters upon the circuit clos mg ositiomcorresponding to the approach to tie ;,cross1ng,f-the proper switch 17\ 1s closed'.=- "'Then,. upon the closing of the circ'u'itthe motor"' is started and ,the'" gate is "lowered to'the position shown mFlg. 1 and just as the lowermost position is reached the properjswitch 17 is opened and. the motorstops: At someftir'ne'.v previous to the stopping of the motor as described the mat,

ing switch 17 is closed. j The approach side :of; the crossing is-represented in Fig. 2 by thecontactrails 1i. Theconta'ct rails 12 sult is theelevation of the segment in lieu of a crank-arm for operatof said which has been described .inthe use of a ing the gate.

We claim as our 1nvent1on:

1. In combination in an automatic gate tender, a gate supported by a. gate shaft,

an electric motor, a main shaft rotated'by said motor, a crank on said mainshaftoperatively connected to said. gateshaft, a track extending past said gate, said track having a pair of contact rails on each side gate, a motor control switch for each pair of contact rails, a current sup ply line connected to the motor and to one of said switches-being connected individual.- 1y with a pair of contact rails, and means operated from said main shaft for alternately opening one of said switches and closing the other thereof responsive to rotation of said main shaft.

2. In an electrically-operated and traincontrolled gate tender,a gate for being alternately lowered and .raised by a swinging movement, a motor, a main shaft rotatively operated b said motor, a crank-arm on said main sha t operatively connected tosaid gate, a control switch for each movement of said gate, means for operating said switches from said main shaft, and contact rails, arranged in pairs, for individually closing the circuits for said switches, one pair of rails being on one side of the gate and another pair of rails being on the other side of thegate.

3. In an automatic gate tender, agate supported for. being changed alternately to the obstructing and to the non-obstructing'position, a pair of electric control switches,

with circuit-closing rails, electric circuits .side of said switches, the other side of each 1 an electric motor, a mainshaft operatively connected to said motor, track rails provided circuit-closing rails and switches, a pair of crank arm's connected individually with said switches, and a third crank-arm connected with said gate, said-crank-arms being incorporated' in the structure of said main shaft. y 4. In an automatic gate tender, a gate supported-for being lowered and raised, two I pairs of contact railsj located at opposite sldes of said gate, a pair of electric switches having each an operating lever, a one-way electric motor and a main shaft driventhereby, a source of supply for electric current, a pair of electric-circuits arranged to moti nect said motor to said supply, one through the mecliumof one switch and one pair of contact rails and the other through the medium of the other switch and pair of contactrai1s,.individual connecting means intermediate said shaft and the gate and the two switches, and said connecting means heing constructed and arranged to operate in synchronism so as to effect alternatively the opening of onev switch and the closing of l the other simultaneously with a movement of the gate in one direction or theother.

' FREDE HCK (lPXlRGES. PI'US P. GEORGES. 

